Season preparation Team Germany: “We have to accept restrictions to be able to practice our sport despite the crisis!”

Berchtesgaden (FIL) On March 1st, the Luge World Cup season ended in Germany as scheduled, more precisely in Berchtesgaden/Königssee. At that time, Italy was already severely affected by the Coronavirus crisis. One week later, the major restrictions due to COVID-19 came to all of Europe. Also at the German Federation BSD, all training facilities were closed at the beginning of March and public life was largely shut down.

Looking back, the German head coach Norbert Loch is happy: “On the one hand, it was important that we were able to finish the World Cup season and then that the BSD leadership laid the foundation for the return to training at the four bases early on with a very good Coronavirus hygiene system. As a result, the World Cup team could already start training again for the upcoming season at the end of April. We lost a maximum of three weeks in the preparation. We trained in small groups and also in the technical area we could quickly get back into sled building.”

Due to the fact that the training groups are larger, the junior and youth setup was more difficult. In mid-May athletic training started again in the youth and junior sector in Germany, under strict conditions. Head coach Loch reports: “All in all, some creativity was needed. In North Rhine-Westphalia, where Winterberg is located, they had to set up a special weight room at the track, because at that time they were not allowed to work in the training centre.”

The basic training was organised in small groups and under strict hygiene conditions at the four bases. The first central athletics and ice-start training course then took place from June 29th to July 14th in Oberhof under the direction of athletics coach Patric Leitner. Here, with strict rules in the area of hygiene and in compliance with social distancing and mask requirements, training was carried out for five days in the men, women and doubles categories.

Norbert Loch is satisfied: “Patric Leitner organised the central training course very well for 16 days. So the technical and athletic preparation is going almost according to plan. From a sporting point of view we are well prepared for a pre-Olympic season. But I am aware that the world has changed! The economy has been hit hard. It cannot continue as before. We have to realise that we have to accept all restrictions in order to be able to continue our beloved sport of luge despite the crisis!”